Kanto Calling
by crywonder
Summary: Ash isn't the only one who's surprised when he gets a call from Misty at his latest stop in Kalos. And this conversation certainly wasn't what Misty had in mind when she phoned in.
1. Chapter 1

_This came out of a lot of thinking about the Kalos crew and Ash actually aging and long distance relationships :') I haven't really watched the XY series outside of a few episodes here and there, but I did as much research as I could to make sure I got the characterizations right. I hope it's not out of character!_

 _Misty - 17  
Ash - nearly 17  
Serena - 16  
Clemont - 18  
Bonnie - 6? 7? Brock probably had siblings more than 10 years younger than him this is not weird_

* * *

 _Laverre City Pokémon Centre_.

If Misty hadn't been quick to get out of the pool to check the new message on her pokégear, she was fast enough now. She'd barely finished towelling down as she quickly looked up the number to the aforementioned centre, quickly jabbing the number into her gym's videophone.

Misty hadn't had any proper contact with Ash in two months. She knew that neither of them were at fault – calls from Kalos were expensive and Ash was never good with emails, and Misty couldn't possibly know where he was at any given time to call him herself. He sent her the occasional postcard, but it was nothing compared to the bi-weekly calls they'd done in Unova.

The only reason she'd known today was because of the text from Tracey. The last time Ash had called in, he'd been excited because he finally had the money to call somewhere other than Pallet Town. Misty knew he ended up calling Brock – Delia had told him the doctor-in-training had just secured an internship at a Pokémon hospital in Saffron City – but Tracey suggested Ash had intended to call Misty at the start. She didn't know if this was just her friend's habit of trying to get them together, but it didn't matter either way. He'd promised to let her know the next time Ash phoned home; this way, Misty could save Ash the money when she initiated the call herself.

She started drying her hair as the phone rang, and a Nurse Joy eventually picked up.

"Laverre City Pokémon Centre!"

"Hi," Misty breathed, still a little out of breath. "Could I speak with Ash Ketchum, please? I was told he's staying here."

"He is!" the nurse nodded, "In fact, I think he just got off another call. Would you like me to put you through?"

"Yes, please!"

"If you'd just hold on for one moment …"

Misty began furiously towelling the ends of her hair as soft music played through the phone's speaker. It wasn't long before Ash's face flickered to life on her screen, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"M-Misty?"

"Hey, Ash!" she smiled, "Long time no see, huh?"

He leaned closer into the camera. "Yeah … it's been a while."

"Where's Pikachu?"

"Huh? Oh, he's sleeping." He laughed softly. "We've kinda had a long day."

She rolled her eyes. "I'd be worried if you didn't."

"Hi!" Out of nowhere, a little girl with a small side ponytail appeared. "I'm Bonnie! Are you a trainer?"

Misty couldn't stop herself from smiling. On the one email Ash had sent her towards the start of his travels, he'd described all of his friends to her, so she'd heard a thing or two about his youngest companion already – along with her zealous attitude towards Pokémon training. "Not quite. I'm Misty, the gym leader of Cerulean City."

"Wow!" Bonnie's eyes sparkled, "A gym leader! My brother's a gym leader too. I'm sure the two of you would really bond over that! Wait a minute," she stopped, turning to look back at Ash. "Didn't you say you had a gym leader friend?"

"Yep! This is Misty!" Ash confirmed.

"Wow!" Bonnie turned back towards the camera and leaned forward so that her face took up the entire screen. "You're so cool! Ash has told us so much about you and how you keep saving his life! I bet you guys care a lot about each other! You're not Ash's girlfriend, right? Because I really want you to keep my brother. He can't find himself a wife, but he won't have to if you marry him! He needs –"

This conversation had brought up a million different thoughts that her mind was running through at a hundred miles an hour. Fortunately for her, she'd never have the opportunity to pursue any of them, thanks to …

"Bonnie!" A male voice called out, and Misty looked on with horror as robot fingers wrapped themselves around Bonnie's waist and pulled her away. She wasn't sure what to think when the fingers were revealed to be attached to a mechanical arm, which was attached to the back of an older boy who looked a lot like Bonnie. Even more worrying: Ash seemed entirely unfazed.

Misty was sure she'd never met a family this crazy in her entire life. And she knew her _sisters_.

The other boy, who she assumed was Clemont, was still talking. "I thought I told you to stop doing that! It's really embarrassing! Look, Miss? I'm really sorry, my sister doesn't mean –" he leaned down and looked at the monitor, "– Oh … hi."

"Hey," she waved, "You must be Clemont, right?"

"A-ah, yes!" He pushed his glasses up his nose, and she noted his cheeks were a light shade of pink. "I'm Bonnie's older brother, and gym leader of Lumiose Gym." He glanced down and jumped, and when Misty followed his gaze she noticed Ash giving the older boy a hard glare. "Um, d-don't take my sister seriously. She seems to have decided I need a wife to take care of me, a-and I don't really have a girlfriend, so she – look, just pretend it never happened, okay? I don't want to marry you. Not that there's anything wrong with marrying you!" He shot another nervous glance at Ash, "But _I_ don't want to marry you. But maybe someone else will!"

Ash had stopped glaring at Clemont, but he was still looking pretty surly. The whole situation had Misty fighting back laughter. "It's okay," she said slowly, "I understand. I'm sure you'll find a … suitable wife someday. And Bonnie, you don't have to worry so much." She could only see the girl's legs on the top of the screen, but Misty knew she could hear her. "I'm sure Clemont can take care of himself.

"That'll be the day," Bonnie huffed. "But hey, if you ever change your mind …"

"Okay!" Clemont stood up straight, "Bonnie, we're leaving!"

"But I wanna talk to Misty!"

But Clemont was already walking away, carrying Bonnie along with him.

Ash sighed after they left. "I'm sorry about them."

"No, no!" Misty waved the notion away. "Your friends seem lovely. But gee, you sure know how to pick 'em."

He laughed. "Oh yeah! Bonnie and Clemont can be wild, but they're really great."

"I'm sure. Anyway, you did tell me about Bonnie's proposals in your last email. From two months ago."

She watched as a look of pure terror graced his features. Misty was only teasing him, but it was obvious that they weren't on the same wavelength.

"D-did you reply?" he asked gingerly.

"I did. The day after I got it."

"Oh. That's … gosh, Mist, I'm really sorry –"

She rarely ever heard apologies from him, but she decided to save it for a time when she really deserved one. "I'm not mad at you, Ash. I know it gets hard to keep in touch sometimes. But …" she bit her lip. "I miss you. A-and so does Brock!"

"It's not that I don't remember you guys …"

"We know that." She sighed. "It just … sucks, you know?"

He reached an arm out, seemingly touching the side of his monitor. "Yeah. It sucks for me too."

As usual, Misty's body betrayed her. She couldn't fight the heat rising to her cheeks no matter how hard she tried, so she looked away, letting her hair hide her face as she reached for the jacket she'd kept on the table beside her. Just as she'd managed to, yet again, convince herself that she was over her feelings for Ash Ketchum and everything was okay, it all came back to bite her on the ass. It was concerning, more than anything. She'd once read somewhere that if you had a crush on someone for more than two years you should see a doctor. Misty had had a crush on Ash since she was ten – what did that make her?

She had to change the subject. Something completely and entirely platonic that only two people with a completely and entirely platonic relationship would talk about. "So anyway, I got the gift you sent me."

… Talking about Ash's potential White Day present was _not_ a completely and entirely platonic topic of conversation.

Ash, on the other hand, didn't seem to be suffering from any kind of inner turmoil. "Oh, yeah? I guess I did send it a while back … did you like it? I saw it at a store and it reminded me of you."

"It … reminded you of me?"

"Uh huh! And I thought you might like it too."

"I did. I love it." She sucked on her teeth, and looked away again, shrugging her jacket closer over her shoulders. She thought it'd give her the time to think before speaking, but it was obvious her brain just wasn't functioning properly. _This must be what Ash feels like every day,_ she thought dryly. "But did you mean for me to get it on White Day?"

There was a pause. "What?"

"I'll take that as a no."

"Wait … Wh-white Day?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Gee, Misty, I-I … I forgot all about that. They don't really celebrate it in Kalos, so I guess … I just didn't realise it had gone by."

Misty was dismayed, but unsurprised, to find she was actually disappointed. "Huh."

He shifted in his seat. "Did … did you think it was for White Day?"

"Well, it did arrive _on_ White Day." She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "And it's a pendant."

"… It is?"

And there it was – that familiar surge of annoyance, twitch of her eyebrow and flare of his nostrils. A conversation with Ash Kethcum about romance was always easy bait for her temper.

"Yes, Ash, it was a pendant. It came on a chain." She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out the item in question. It was a gold copy of a Staryu's core, with a small ruby in the middle to complete the piece. Neither the gold nor the ruby felt real, but Misty hardly cared; the thought was still sweet. At the time. "What else could you possibly think this is?"

His brow was furrowed as he stared at it, scratching his head. "Actually, it didn't have a chain when I saw it. I figured it was a badge or something."

Misty slapped a palm to her forehead. "Of course you did."

"Why are you so worked up about this anyway?"

She jumped. "I-I'm not worked up! I was just curious. The timing had me wondering … but then again, it was from _you_ , and I never sent you anything for Valentine's Day, so why would you –"

"What are you talking about? You sent me those chocolates, didn't you?"

Now it was Misty's turn to be confused. "I did?"

"Yeah! You sent them to Shalour City, right?"

He'd thought those chocolates were from _her_. "Ash, those were from your mother!"

"They were?"

She laughed, "Yeah, doofus! I was in Pallet Town then, so I sent a letter with it."

"I wondered why those chocolates tasted so familiar. I was surprised you could make anything taste so good."

"Hey!"

Ash grinned. "Face it, Misty, your cooking –"

"Anyway," she pressed on, "You reached Shalour City on Valentine's Day?"

"A few days after. But the Nurse Joy there said that was when it arrived." He cleared his throat. "And, uh, winked."

Misty made sure her face was carefully void of expression. "Well I certainly hadn't intended for it to arrive then."

He threw her a sheepish grin. "So we're even, right?"

"Sure." She started to return the smile, but stopped. Valentine's Day was just over a month ago. "Hold on a second … you thought those chocolates were from me …"

"Yeah …"

"Because … because they arrived on _Valentine's Day_ …"

"… Yes …"

"And you didn't think to call or message me to clarify this … at all?"

"Uhhhhhh …"

"Ash?" Misty heard a voice she couldn't recognise, followed by one of the prettiest girls she'd ever seen. "Pikachu's awake, and –" She peered down into the screen. "Oh … hello. I don't think I've seen your face before."

"This is Misty. She's the gym leader of Cerulean City." Misty couldn't help but beam at the obvious pride in his voice. "Misty, this is Serena."

"Hey," Misty smiled. Ash had told her all about Serena too, and how she 'blushes a lot and asks a lot of questions, but she's still pretty cool'. Even halfway across the world, Misty could tell this girl obviously had a huge thing for Ash. Fighting any feelings of jealousy that were threatening to surface, she smiled wider, "It's nice to meet you."

"Oh! You're the water Pokémon master, aren't you? It's an honour to meet you."

She coughed, not quite expecting that introduction. Obviously Serena hadn't caught onto Ash's tendency to exaggerate about his friends' achievements. "Oh, I don't think I'm a _master_ just yet …"

"You've done so much for your gym," Ash shrugged, "The way I see it, you might as well be."

Six years ago, Ash wouldn't be caught dead saying anything like this. Misty didn't even know this was the impression he was giving his friends until she'd heard it from Max when he'd visited Kanto before Ash headed out to the Battle Frontier. She'd brushed it off then, thinking the boy had been swayed by her Gyarados and there was no way Ash thought _that_ highly of her, but she was forced to believe when she finally heard the same thing from Dawn. Ash's calls had only come every few weeks in Sinnoh, and he was almost always alone, but she finally met Dawn when the girl called the gym up herself, asking her for advice on raising her Piplup – "because a few days ago Ash told me you knew everything about water pokémon there is to know, and I wanted to see what you thought about this thing I'm trying to do with his bubblebeam attack …"

In any case, Misty saw this as evidence that Ash had matured a bit over time, and she was glad for it. But that didn't mean she knew how to deal with his compliments.

Serena must've sensed Misty's awkwardness, because she spoke up. "Well, this is lovely, but Ash and I have to get dinner." She placed her hands on her hips, "Clemont says it'll get cold if you don't come soon, so you should probably wrap it up."

"Alright," Ash nodded, glancing briefly back at the screen, "Could you … uh, give us a few minutes?"

"Sure. Want me to send Pikachu over?"

"Oh, yes please!" Misty piped up, "I haven't seen the little guy in so long!"

Serena grinned. "Alright." She placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, and Misty winced – the gesture felt intimate, leaving Misty questioning just how far their relationship had progressed since Ash's last letter. "Don't be too long."

Misty eyed the blonde as she left the room, leaving her and Ash alone. "She's pretty."

"I guess," Ash frowned, "I haven't really thought about it … but I think she has to know how to look pretty, since she's a Pokémon Performer and all."

"A Pokémon Performer?"

"Yeah! Didn't I tell you about that?" Ash rubbed his nose, "I guess I never had the opportunity to. She decided she wants to compete in Pokémon showcases. Kinda like coordinating, but there's no battling and the trainers have to perform too."

Misty hummed, resting her chin on her fist. "I guess you'd have to know how to look good for that. But she's a natural kind of pretty too, you know? I bet she looks nice all the time."

He gave her a funny look. "Do you like her, or something?"

Shocked, she nearly fell out of her seat. "Wh-wha –?! Like? H-how do you mean?"

"You know, like … 'like' like. Because if you do, you know I'll always support you no matter what …"

"Ash … are you asking me if I like girls?"

He blinked. "I'm just asking you if you like Serena."

"… Serena …"

"You, uh … you might have a chance, you know. She acts really weird every time this other girl, Miette is around, kind of like … uh, never mind. But I think she likes girls too."

"… Are you _serious_?"

"Oh, yeah! Miette's her rival, and she doesn't really have any concept of personal space, and Serena gets all flustered. I can tell because that's how Dawn's Buneary used to be around Pikachu. Actually, I didn't realise that was why Buneary was acting weird until Brock told me last year –"

"No, I mean … are you seriously trying to hook me up with another girl?!"

"…Oh." Ash suddenly looked very bashful, eyes darting everywhere except at the screen in front of him. "So you don't …? That's … good. Uhm …" He shifted in his seat, "So … just to clarify, you don't like girls at all?"

" _No._ Ash, you can't just assume someone likes someone because they think they're good-looking. That's not how it works."

"It doesn't? But I thought …" he trailed off, brow furrowed in thought.

"Attraction isn't always just about looks, you know."

He shook his head. "No, I get that. But don't you only find someone pretty if you … if you like them?"

Misty frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ash didn't say anything. Half a minute of silence later, Misty decided she was never going to get an answer. She racked her brain, once again, for something else to talk about, when a blur of yellow leaped onto Ash's lap.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu cried.

"Pikachu!" Misty laughed, thankful for the distraction. "I missed you too, pal. You're taking good care of Ash for me, right?"

The rodent chattered excitedly, and Misty looked away from briefly to notice Ash with a small smile on his face as he watched Pikachu recount the events of the day. Her heart clenched; Ash alone had been great, but he wasn't quite complete without his constant companion. And she'd missed this dearly.

Pikachu was interrupted when Ash's stomach let out an all too familiar grumble. He laughed nervously as both Misty and the pokémon rolled their eyes.

"Wanna wrap it up, buddy?" Ash patted Pikachu's head, "We don't want to be late for dinner."

At that, Pikachu's own stomach let out a low grumble that left the humans chuckling.

"Alright, alright," Misty tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll let you go."

Ash looked apologetic. "We didn't really get to talk much, but …"

She waved him away. "It's alright, I'm not about to get in between you and food."

"I'll call you. Next gym. I should be there in a month, or so."

"You don't have to, Ash. It's a lot of money …"

"I'll save up for it." He leaned closer, clutching Pikachu in his arms. "I'll sell something. I didn't even get to ask you how your gym's going, and I haven't introduced you to Frogadier yet!"

"Pika-pika!"

"Ash!" Bonnie came running into the room, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the seat, "I've already finished eating and you're not even here! What's taking you so long?"

Ash glanced at Misty from the corner of his eye, and Misty gestured at pushing him away. "Go on!"

"Next gym." He got out of his seat but leaned down so he could still be seen on the screen. "I promise."

She nodded. "I'll hold you to it."

"Let's go!" Bonnie yanked at Ash's arm, jerking him forward as Pikachu struggled to scamper onto his shoulder.

"Slow down, Bonnie, I can't leave without hanging u–"

The camera flickered off as the call ended, leaving Misty alone in a corridor of her gym. A few minutes later she was back in the pool, doing laps with her pokémon with a lot more zeal than before – now, at least, she knew that she'd be seeing Ash again soon.


	2. Chapter 2

_Replies to review in-fic is a huge pet peeve of mine but there was a guest review that I really wanted to address and I have no other way of doing so, so here goes._

 _To the rude guest reviewer (you know who you are): This fic has been marked as 'Complete' since the beginning and was always intended to be a one-shot. Maybe you should check the status of a story before asking people to update because reading your stupid ass review was pretty annoying, no offense._

 _To everyone else who requested a new chapter: you guys are sweet, and this one's for you. Thanks for reading!_

* * *

"And there's a ceremony for all the competitors in the evening. I hope there's food!"

"I'm sure there'll be something to eat, Ash."

"I just hope there's a lot of it, you know?" The pokémon trainer was almost bouncing in his seat. He could barely sit still. "I'm so excited, I feel like I'm shaking! That's a lot of energy being used that I need to get back."

Brock raised an eyebrow. "Energy, huh? Who taught you that one?"

"Clemont did!"

"Ah, right. The inventor?"

"Yeah, he knows a lot. I never knew science was so cool! If I did, I would've paid more attention at school …"

Brock chuckled. He knew Ash couldn't pay attention at school even if he'd wanted to – that just wasn't the way he learnt. Real world experiences and conversations with his friends were the only way Ash got anything into that head of his.

"You know," Ash started, a little quieter this time, "It would've been pretty cool if you could be here."

Brock nodded. "You know I would've loved to, but this internship …"

"Yeah, I know. Becoming a doctor takes up a lot of your time. But you're having fun, right?"

"Oh yeah, but it can be tough sometimes. Yesterday we had a Furret come in with a gash right across its stomach. The trainer was just about to register for the Silver Conference, too!"

Ash looked horrified, and Brock started to think that maybe it wasn't the right thing to say to him right before a League.

"The Furret's fine."

"Oh, good," Ash sighed, his face relaxing considerably. "You had me worried for a second there!"

Brock laughed nervously. "Well, I guess that's enough stories from my end. Do you know what the competition's like?"

"I know a few of my friends who're competing." Ash scratched at his temple. "I heard it's pretty tough. I don't see a lot of people here, but I guess I'll know at this ceremony later. It's not like your usual opening ceremony too. It's more like … a dinner party or something."

"Now that you mention it, I don't remember the Kalos League having an opening ceremony like they do here. Is it held at the League village, then?"

Ash shook his head. "There is no League village. Clemont's dad is letting us stay with him, but I think everyone else is staying at the Pokémon Centre, or a hotel. There's only one stadium too."

Brock pursed his lips. He knew the Kalos League had a reputation for being one of the better Leagues of all the regions, but it had never seemed so small on TV.

"I think I can actually win this time," Ash breathed out, claiming Brock's attention once again. Brock blinked, about to voice his agreement because he, too, thought Ash could win this time, just like always, but –

"I know I always say that, but … I'm _really_ feeling it this time. I think I'm going to do better than I've ever done before, at least." Ash paused. "Is that stupid?"

"You've always been the type of guy to trust your instincts," Brock mused. "And when it's this important, you're usually not wrong. Remember how you felt during Sinnoh?"

Ash nodded. "It's the same feeling, but stronger."

"Your mother tells me you've been doing especially well in Kalos, so you could be on the money here." Brock rubbed his chin. "Have you told anyone else about it?"

"Just my mom." Ash's eyes quickly flitted to something out of view of Brock's screen, and then back to him. "And Misty."

A slow grin started to spread across Brock's face. "Misty, huh? I heard you've been calling her a lot more often, lately."

"Yeah, well," Ash rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not too great with emails, so …"

"You're not great with emailing anyone." Brock crossed his arms, "And you haven't been calling me all that often, either."

Ash spluttered, blinking rapidly, "H-hey, it's not like I don't want to talk to you! I'd call you if I had the money, but …"

"Relax, Ash!" Brock chuckled. "I'm not accusing you of anything, I get it. Kalos is expensive, and Misty's a priority."

"What? No no, she's not … well, she's not a _priority_ …"

"Why not? She's your favourite girl, isn't she?"

As if on cue, Ash's face flushed a tomato red. "Favourite girl?! I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you? You definitely don't call May or Dawn as much as you call her."

Ash fidgeted. "May and Dawn are always travelling. I was never able to call them that much."

Brock pursed his lips. "Sure. But what about Iris? You told me she went back to her gym in Unova, didn't she?"

"Oh c'mon, it's not like I call Misty every opportunity I get! Only before I'm about to challenge a gym. I call my mom more often than anyone else … _she's_ my favourite girl."

Brock raised a finger. "Delia is a _woman_. And she doesn't count, she raised you."

"Misty's more of a woman now, too," Ash muttered under his breath, thinking Brock wouldn't catch it – but he did.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Brock fought hard not to laugh – for all that Ash had grown and matured over time, some things never change. Total denial of attraction towards his best friend was one of them. Ash was normally oblivious any time someone teased him with a girl, not quite understanding what was being asked of him. But with Misty, he'd been teased so explicitly for such a long time that even the smallest of implications could set him off.

"Hey," a soft voice calls from just behind Ash, and a ridiculously good-looking girl stepped into view. She had honey-blonde hair and the nicest eyes, and Brock would've already called for her attention if she weren't so young.

But not too young. Just young enough that he could end up in jail.

With Officer Jenny.

Suddenly hitting on her didn't seem like such a bad idea.

"Don't even think about it," Ash warned, snapping Brock's attention away from the girl. The girl had disappeared; she must've accomplished whatever she was here for while he was daydreaming. Ash had a look on his face that said he knew exactly what Brock had been thinking about.

"Gee, Ash, you talk to Misty so much you're even starting to sound like her." Ash's face heated up again, and Brock smirked. He had the upper hand once more. "Who was that?"

"Serena, one of my friends." Ash's eyes widened. "Oh, that's right. You didn't get to meet any of the people I'm travelling with, did you?"

Brock's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. " _That's_ Serena?"

"Yeah. Why?"

He whistled. "Damn, Ash. You really know how to pick 'em."

Ash's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Does Misty know you're travelling with her?"

"Yeah … why wouldn't she?"

"And Misty hates her, doesn't she?"

"I … don't think she does. They get along okay."

"Really? I would've thought she'd have thrown a fit by now. Serena's _gorgeous_."

"Misty said she was really pretty too." Ash took a quick look around, before leaning in very close to the screen. "I think Misty likes her," he said in a conspiratorial whisper.

Brock only blinked. "Likes her?"

"You know … 'like' likes her."

Brock's mind went blank, as did his face. Misty liked Serena? 'Like' liked Serena? A girl?

Misty liked a girl?

The laughter came like it had burst out of a dam, never-ending and very, very loud. From the corner of his eye he could see Ash look around nervously, probably silently apologising to the people in the phone booths around him. But Brock didn't care – this was just _too_ funny.

"What?" Ash finally asked, as Brock's guffaws fizzled out and he started wheezing to catch his breath.

"It's just … j-just …" Brock wiped at his brow, "Whew! What in the world gave you that idea, Ash?"

"The first time she saw Serena she kept going on about how pretty she was." Ash looked annoyed – whether this was directed at Brock or Serena, he didn't know. "And every time Serena's on screen, she looks like she's looking at her real closely. I am pretty observant, you know."

"Did Clemont teach you that one as well?"

Ash grunted, and Brock chuckled. "So you're telling me that you think Misty is a lesbian?"

"I-I don't know about that," Ash said, scowling even more. Clearly he didn't like the idea of Misty only being attracted to women. Brock could read this boy like an open book.

"But you think she likes Serena."

"Yeah." Ash brushed the bottom of his nose with his finger rather aggressively, looking away from the screen. "A-and Serena might like her back. She looks at Misty the same way. Like she's just … focused on her completely."

It was like watching a soap opera. Brock might as well have ended the call and switched on the TV, and it wouldn't have made a difference. Being the romantic that he was, he knew Misty and Serena were only eyeing each other up to ascertain the other's relationship with the boy. It wasn't abnormal if their only interaction had been over the videophone. They may have gotten along okay, as Ash claimed, but it was clear that they viewed other as somewhat of a threat. And Ash would no doubt have missed either of their furtive glances towards him too – Brock wouldn't put it beyond the boy. And now Ash thinks they're _into_ each other.

He felt like he needed some popcorn.

"The plot thickens," Brock mused, the grin never leaving his face.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Are you going to tell me you have a crush on Clemont now, too?"

Ash stared at Brock, dumbfounded. " _What?_ "

"Never mind. Just wondering."

"Brock, I'm not gay."

"I never said you were."

The scowl never left Ash's face, but his expression had softened. "So … you don't think Misty likes Serena?"

"I doubt it," Brock grunted, "And I think you've misunderstood what's going on between them."

"Then what is it?"

"I think you're going to have to figure that one out for yourself, Ash."

Ash pursed his lips in thought, but Brock knew he wasn't going to get it just like that. He needed a little push.

"But I can tell you for a fact that Misty's attracted to men."

Ash perked up. "She is?"

"Yep. I don't know about girls, but she definitely likes guys as far as I know."

"Oh."

"And who knows? Maybe one of them is a certain wannabe Pokémon Master with black hair, and –"

"Anyway," Ash huffed, cutting in before Brock could finish his sentence, "Did you want to meet everyone?"

Brock took a quick glance at the time. "Usually I'd be glad to, but I should head to bed soon. I've got an early start at the hospital tomorrow."

"Oh," Ash slumped, and Brock immediately felt bad. Brock never got to see Ash's Unova friends in person, but that was mostly because of the timezone. He'd only recently learnt that he'd accidentally run into Cilan while in Johto. The time difference between Kalos and Kanto wasn't so bad – Brock could call at a decent hour of the night, and it'd only be afternoon for Ash.

"Maybe you could give me a call if it's not too late," Brock tried. He grinned, "That is, if you're not too busy calling Misty."

Ash looked genuinely confused, and Brock was impressed. He'd never known the kid to be such a good actor. "Misty? What are you talking about?"

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." Brock narrowed his eyes. "I bet you've called her already, huh?"

"Why would I have to call her? Misty's in Lumiose City for the League."

What.

"What?" Brock choked.

"Yeah, she got here this morning. Want me to go get her?"

"This morning …?"

Ash was already off his seat, and he was back in moments with a familiar redhead in tow. Brock gaped at her in awe as she chastised the boy for not telling her Brock was on the phone.

"He called me," Ash mumbled in defense, but she waved his excuses away.

"Whatever. Hey, Brock!" she exclaimed, taking a seat and making herself comfortable. When Ash sat down he could only be seen on a quarter of the screen, which meant Misty had barely given him any space on the bench. The sight was so familiar, and yet …

"You know, you'll catch some venomoth in your mouth if you keep it open like that."

Brock shut his mouth immediately. "What … what are you doing here?" he finally managed.

"Ash invited me to Kalos for the League." Misty swapped a small smile with Ash, before focusing on Brock again. "It was pretty last minute but …"

"What about the gym?"

"Daisy said she could handle it. It's only for a week." She frowned, "She played a pokémon trainer in one of her films, and she's real big on method acting."

"It's weird," Ash agreed. "You should give Cerulean Gym a call. It's like she's a completely different person."

"Don't call the gym," Misty added quickly.

Brock ignored the exchange, letting the prior information sink in. "So …" he started, "You drop everything the minute Ash calls and asks you to come to Kalos?"

"Well, not exactly …"

"She said no, at first," Ash said, "But Daisy convinced her to take a break. I think she needs it, too." He poked her arm. "You're so pale."

"You're a squirt," she snapped back.

"I'm taller than you."

"Still a squirt."

"But look at these!" Ash flexed his arm, and Misty rolled her eyes.

"I should've gone to Hoenn instead," Misty whispered to Brock.

Brock hadn't zoned out this time; he was observing their exchange closely. It was no different to the conversations they'd have when they were ten, and yet … something was different. There was no heat behind their words, nothing to get defensive about. It was almost playful.

They were _flirting_.

Brock realised they'd been waiting on him to say something, so he said the first thing he could think of that didn't sound suspicious: "So is Kalos nice, then?"

Apparently this was the wrong move, because both of them looked concerned. "You okay, Brocko?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Nothing," Brock shook his head, "I was just … thinking about how much you love everything Kalosian, Misty."

"Oh, yes!" Misty's eyes sparkled, and he knew that he'd opened the floodgates. She started gushing about the cafés and the croissants and the flowers and even the tiny little apartment above Clemont's dad's shop that they were staying in. She hadn't had a chance to go shopping, but Bonnie and Serena have promised to take her. Brock wasn't really paying attention – he was more focused on the look at Ash's face throughout the spiel. He couldn't take his eyes off the girl.

"So," Brock smiled slowly, "Has Ash taken you up the Lumiose Tower yet?"

"Well, the gym is actually at the bottom of the tower," Misty said. "So Clemont said he'd show us around after Ash's first match."

Brock rubbed his chin. "But wouldn't you two want to go alone?"

There was a moment's silence before both their faces morphed into the same irritated expression.

" _Brock_ ," Misty growled, and Ash just slumped in his seat.

"Don't you have an early start tomorrow?" he said.

"Oh yeah," Brock grinned, "Things got so interesting I forgot all about that."

"And we have to leave for dinner soon, too," Misty said, rising to her feet, while Ash quickly shuffled to take over the space she was sitting in.

"I'll be right there," Ash said. Misty gave him an odd look, her eyes flicking to Brock and back.

"Alright," she shrugged, "Don't be too long." She leaned down so her face was fully in view of the screen again. "We'll call you tomorrow, alright?"

"See you later," Brock nodded. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

He heard her mutter a "gross" while she threw him a wave.

"I should go too," Ash said after she was out of earshot. "But it was nice talking to you after so long."

"Definitely," Brock agreed. "If you let me know in advance when you plan to come back to Pallet Town, I could try to make the trip."

Ash's face lit up. "Really?"

"I can't guarantee it," Brock said quickly. "The internship's pretty tight, but I can see if I can pull a few strings and get some days off! I could spend some time helping Professor Oak out, too."

"Alright!" Ash fist-bumped, "It'll be really great to see you again."

"Of course. And if you're really taller than Misty like you say you are, then I'd like to see it for myself!"

Ash chuckled, before his smile faded. "Hey Brock?"

"Hm?"

"The thing about going to the Lumiose Tower … just the two of us. Is that gonna work?"

Brock had to fight the need to go crazy and hassle Ash about flowers and poetry and sweeping declarations of love. "Of course," he said gently, "But I think she'll appreciate it no matter where you take her."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Ash looked down at his feet again, frowning in thought, until he shrugged it off. "Right. Thanks, Brock."

"Any time. But you better tell me how it goes."

He nodded. "I will."

"And break it gently to Serena, alright?"

"Huh?"

Brock waved him away. "Never mind. You'll figure it out."

"If you say so …"

"And bring roses."

He couldn't help himself.

"And tell me how it goes," Brock repeated. Ash laughed, raising a hand to cut him off.

"Enough already!" He rubbed the back of his neck. "So I guess I'll call you tomorrow after my match?"

"I'll be counting on it."

"Ash!" Misty's voice could be heard faintly in the background.

Ash jumped. "That's Misty! Gotta go, Brock, seeya!"

"Roses, Ash!"

The call cut out and Brock wasn't sure Ash had heard the reminder. But he supposed it didn't matter anyway.

They'd be together by the end of the week.

* * *

 _To avoid getting a rude review again, I want to explicitly state that this is the end of this story unless I feel like posting more. I was really satisfied with the ending of the first chapter, and the only reason I wrote this one was because a lot of people asked for more. I don't like this chapter nearly as much as I liked the original, and I wouldn't want a third chapter to be even worse because I've forced myself to write it. Again, thanks for reading, and always remember to check yoself before you wreck yoself :)_


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